The Eldorado National Forest (ENF) just put out an email about an open house regarding the OHV rant process.

This is a good opportunity for the user to tell the forest service how we want our grant funds spent. Regarding the greater ‘Tahoe side Rubicon area trails’, there is only one trail, the Richardson Lake Trail that runs up to Sourdough Hill. Currently, that trail has maintenance well in hand, been adopted by a motivated user, and should be good for years to come.

ENF does a huge amount of work on the Rubicon itself in cooperation with El Dorado County. There are a few spots along the trail that could use some work (read as fill material) in order to prevent temporary closures due to running/standing water on the trail. These efforts should be emphasized and supported.

The old saying is “If you don’t vote, you can’t complain”. This is similar, if you don’t take the time to inform the forest service what you want to see them do for your trails, don’t complain when it doesn’t happen. ‘m sure there is a way to email in any thoughts or comments you have if you can’t make the meeting.

Public invited to Eldorado National Forest Open House to discuss Off-Highway Vehicle grant applications

Placerville, CA – The Eldorado National Forest will be submitting applications for Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) Cooperative Funds for the upcoming 2016/2017 grant cycle. The Forest is developing preliminary applications to the Off Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division which includes a strong emphasis on trail maintenance and repair, law enforcement across the four Ranger Districts, printing and distribution of the Motor Vehicle Use Maps, restoration of impacted areas, planning, and education.

As your ideas are important for developing our proposals, the Forest will be hosting an Open House on February 8 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM to discuss the proposed preliminary grant applications. This Open House will be held at the Eldorado National Forest Supervisor’s Office, 100 Forni Road, Placerville, CA 95667. You can call (530) 622-5061 for directions.

The Eldorado National Forest has been successful in being awarded grants from the OHMVR Division in previous grant cycles. The grants have helped address trail repair and clearing of downed trees on over 300 miles of OHV routes and law enforcement patrol on an additional 900 miles of native surface roads on the Forest, provided for the printing of free Motor Vehicle Use Maps, as well as other planning, development, and restoration activities.

The public may provide electronic comments to the Eldorado National Forest (applicant) by e-mailing both Michelle Zuro-Kreimer at mzurokreimer@fs.fed.us and carbon copying (cc) the OHMVR Division at ohvinfo@parks.ca.gov. You may also send written comments, suggestions, or letters of support for the applications to Michelle Zuro-Kreimer, Eldorado National Forest, 100 Forni Road, Placerville, CA 95667.

I just sent a letter to the president and vice president of the Rubicon Trail Foundation (RTF) asking that they keep the users informed of any maintenance efforts by either county PRIORto any decision being made so the users can comment on these efforts.

Some maintenance efforts are being done that have nothing to do with safety or water quality. It’s all about making the trail easier in certain places so some people don’t put a scrape on their rig.

Sean Russel
John Arenz
Rubicon Trail Foundation

September 27, 2016

Sean & John,

I am writing to ask that RTF keep the users of the Rubicon Trail informed of any maintenance efforts prior to the work being approved in order for the users to be able to comment on these efforts.

There are past examples of work done that was neither a safety issue nor a water quality issue. There is one effort planned, but not yet performed, that does not fall within either of those categories.

By creating a new page on your website of proposed, current and completed Rubicon Trail maintenance and which agency is leading it and how the public can comment on those issues, the users would be informed and would have the ability to comment on how our trail is managed.

Rogue maintenance is also an issue. RTF should develop professional relations with all organizations that may have or might perform such maintenance without agency approval and discourage such actions.

Too many decisions are being made behind closed doors or without users’ approval or input. Some of this is on us for not attending meetings but most users work M-F and can’t attend these meetings. So, again I am asking that RTF attend those meeting on our behalf and to keep us informed.

I will be starting a thread on www.Pirate4x4.com to allow Rubicon Trail users comment on this idea. I ask that you join in on the conversation.

Road construction has started in the Lake Tahoe Basin. This is important enough that I may start a direct link to updated information on current construction project that could affect driving to and/or from the world Famous Rubicon Trail.

This website has all kinds of information on road construction around Tahoe. The easiest page to understand has pictures. So, rather than me ramble on with too many words, here are two pictures pages that says it all. The link is for the web page of the two images below.

As was the subject of the last “Photo of the month”, the sign at the McKinney-Rubicon Springs Road has been in the need of attention for some time.

Recently, some new material was installed along with a new piece of backing plywood and a new plexi-glass cover. Additionally, the broken map box was replaced and stocked with both the RTF Rubicon Trail map and the new Rubicon Area OHV Trails map and flier. The map was covered in my last post.

Here is the new signage in all it’s glory:

The RTF map is on the left.

The agencies involved with the trail are represented across the bottom: Placer County, El Dorado County, US Forest Service, CA State Parks OHV, Friends of the Rubicon, Rubicon Trail Foundation, CA Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs, and the Blue Ribbon Coalition.

Towards the right is some educational information including ham radio frequencies, contact information for the agencies involved, how to volunteer, driving cautions and a copy of the new tri-MVUM map.

A close up of the new map box now housing the RTF Rubicon Trail map and the new tri-MVUM of Rubicon Area OHV trails:

This was a private effort. Hopefully, in the future, the agencies listed on the sign will get together with the users to decide what more signage and information is needed at the staging area and along the trail.

UPDATE 2-20-15:

The LTBMU visited the staging area and decided that the sign needed a few changes. Here is a photo of the current sign. I’m working on getting FOTR to join the party and hopefully, together, we can all get the information on the sign to reflect what the users need to travel safely and enjoy the area.

They added a full Motor Vehicle Use Map for North Tahoe and a snowmobile riding area map.

It’s only a first draft but here is a new map of the Rubicon Trail area:

This map combines the three Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM) from the Tahoe National Forest (TNF), the Eldorado National Forest (ENF) and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU). This issue only comes up on the Placer side as the ENF MVUM map covers the entire Rubicon on the El Dorado side.

This map will provide the users with a guide to side trails in the area from Blackwood Canyon to Sourdough Hill. This map is provided for reference only. It is not intended to be used to navigate. Most of the trails listed on this map are seasonal use only, for wheeled motorized vehicles. It is the users responsibility to know when the trails are open for use.

The backside of this map has user information including trail names to go with the FS trail numbers, ham radio frequencies and contact information for Rubicon agencies:

As I said, first draft. This version started as a scan of the three MVUMs. Not a great quality to start with. As I’m new to Photoshop, the resolution was not set to the optimum setting. I’m already working on a new map, from the online FS maps, that should be of good enough quality to enlarge to a size suitable for the trailhead sign.

Although the forests involved would probably rather see ALL the data left on the maps, in future drafts I’m going to eliminate some of the clutter, including all the labeling of the really short trails. That would be all the 003-004-07 kind of numbers.

The LTBMU labels private property vs forest lands differently than the other two forest. Not noticeable in this version. The border between the forests gets a little lost but is the solid black line. No lines for the two counties. The two wildernesses are marked but only one is labeled. Again, first draft. The different forests use different styles to mark the OHV trails. I tried to get the LTBMU and the TNF the same but I’ll wait for the next draft to make the ENF trails look the same.

As crude as this first draft is, these fliers are currently available at the Tahoma Staging Area.

I wanted to get these out so I could get some feedback on the idea. Please let me know what you think these maps need to make them worth while.